1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally communications, and more specifically to a plug-in network appliance.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a well-established demand for wireless networking devices. Connectivity is desired without the need for installing and maintaining various wires and cables, and the convenience of fewer such wires within the home, office, or other facility. Various wireless networking components, such as access points and user terminals, are well known in the art.
There is a further demand for reducing or eliminating power connections whenever possible. Batteries are used for a wide variety of applications, particularly mobile applications. However, in many instances, due to limitations in battery life, it is often convenient to use a powered device within a network. In a typical home or office, power outlets are readily available. However, typical network devices deployed today include a plug and an associated power cable, and in many cases, an external power supply. This adds to the cost, and bulkiness of the device. Certain products have addressed this issue. A wireless access point that plugs directly into Alternating Current (AC) power wiring is the SpeedStream Powerline 802.11b access point available from Siemens AG, of Germany. This wireless access point uses the HomePlug standard for delivering network data across a power network.
With the proliferation of wireless networks and devices, multiple new products and services that use such networks have been and will be introduced. Different services and products may use different communication formats (i.e. differing standard air interfaces, modulation formats, etc.) There is a need in the art to provide a bridge from one communication format to another while maintaining a desired form factor.
For example, various communication formats may be deployed to utilize low power, varying data throughput rates, and the like. Examples include Wireless Local Access Network (WLAN) standards such as IEEE 802.11, 802.15.4, and derivatives thereof. Various cellular based communication formats are also known. Other wireless communications standard or specification may also be deployed. Example cellular-based data systems include: (1) the “TIA/EIA-95-B Mobile Station-Base Station Compatibility Standard for Dual-Mode Wideband Spread Spectrum Cellular System” (the IS-95 standard), (2) the standard offered by a consortium named “3rd Generation Partnership Project” (3GPP) and embodied in a set of documents including Document Nos. 3G TS 25.211, 3G TS 25.212, 3G TS 25.213, and 3G TS 25.214 (the W-CDMA standard), (3) the standard offered by a consortium named “3rd Generation Partnership Project 2” (3GPP2) and embodied in “TR-45.5 Physical Layer Standard for cdma2000 Spread Spectrum Systems” (the IS-2000 standard), and (4) the high data rate (HDR) system that conforms to the TIA/EIA/IS-856 standard (the IS-856 standard). Other wire replacement formats, such as Bluetooth, are known. Optical formats may also be utilized, including infrared, such as detailed by the Infrared Data Association (IrDA).
Example wireless services include position location services. In a wireless position location system, one or more devices may communicate using one or more communication formats. Position information may be relayed to and from devices within the system and a position location engine for determining the location of those objects. There is a further need in the art for a network appliance to provide network services within a compact form factor.